Dragon Space
by plhu
Summary: A fic about the lives of the dragons when they were still human, and what caused them to become dragons. The chapters are stand-alones.
1. DragonSpace01: Transition

DragonSpace01 **DragonSpace01  
Nadare: Transition **  
  
Ohka was enraged. Through his eyes, we saw the blazing inferno that had, only just twenty hours ago, been a peaceful village. He fixed his eyes on the Oni soldiers. I shuddered to hear his thoughts. _You would kill my people? You would destroy the Hokage? To let a demon stay in power?_  
  
He raised his right arm. At that instant, a closed window appeared in our space. Three characters floated around it - Nadare, Saiha and Homura. That would be the first, and last, time that Ohka ever attempted to call out multiple dragons. We tensed, getting ready for the impact of cursing through Ohka's blood and out of his arm to face the physical world as beings of flame.  
  
_Snitch. _  
  
An arrow found its way into Ohka's chest. Was it a hit to the lungs? We, inside our space (which I shall call dragon space for convenience), could not feel his pain physically, but knew of its existence nevertheless. _Hurry up, Ohka!_ As I tried to force my way out, another arrow became part of Ohka. _Quickly, trace our characters NOW!_ By then the three of us were trying to break our way through the window; but it would only open upon the tracing of our characters or the removal of Ohka's tekkou.   
  
One more arrow, this time in the right arm. What had been poor aim on the part of the enemy proved to be fatal to Ohka. More arrows. Finally, Ohka crumpled to the ground, his blood rejoining the earth. He was dead, and we could no longer see the world through him. The floating window, which usually displayed what his eyes saw, went blank and disintegrated. At the same time, his spirit joined our existence out of time.  
  
"All right, it's over. You three know that this was going to happen, so why did you even try to change it? I know you're the youngest and still have deep feelings for the present village, but still … Get ready for the transition." Goku reprimanded us.  
  
"The transition?" Then, my relative youth and inexperience was one cause of my ignorance.   
  
Rui smiled. "Now we travel to reside in the one who shares Ohka's blood - Recca."   
  
"But why not Kurei?"   
  
"Because Kurei's flame has already taken its form - that is why the Hokage elder could feel his power and mistook it for evil. Recca's has yet to, so it will be easier for all eight of us to enter him. Ohka will wake after the transition. Now get ready."  
  
And that was how the transition began. I had a momentary sense of displacement, quite like what you feel in your belly when you jump off a cliff, only somewhat different for me, as I have no physical body. It passed soon enough, though. We were in Recca's body.   
  
A new window popped opened in dragon space. It felt different from Ohka's - narrower, more innocent, less complex, but the senses were so much sharper. The window does not just present us with what our host sees, but everything that he feels with his five senses as well. This one was filled with a woman's sensitive face and upper body. _Such a beautiful face…and two moles under the chin - Kagerou!_ I watched in awe as she performed a mesmerising set of hand movements.   
  
"The Ancient Hokage Secret of Time Travel!" Goku rumbled. "A smart and noble move to save her son's life, but is it a wise one?"   
  
A vortex opened. Kagerou lifted Recca into it. I could feel little Recca's utter confusion and panic as Kagerou forced back her tears and murmured, _"Don't cry...I'm sorry..."_  
  
When Recca started to levitate, Kurei came running up with a knife. Both brothers were sucked into the time portal, a majestic and horrible whirlpool of colours. That was how the two brothers ended up being sent to the same time.  
  
As we left, the last memory I have of that era is that of diamond tears on Kagerou's face, her unnervingly steady hands and lips, and her last words to her son, _"May you have a better life in the future."_  
  
Since that, we dragons have constantly debated on what might happen when Recca, Kurei and Kagerou meet again. This argument inadvertently led us to wonder why two able flame casters were born in this generation. However, we usually ended up concluding that all was due to fate; we could only hope that everything done had a reason behind it, and that everything would work itself out somehow. Me, I believe that two flame casters were born to stop some great catastrophe that will occur in the future. I've heard Goku's story, and I think he shares the same view. But we really can't say anything now, not until we've experienced it.   
  


End

  
  
So, how is it? Comments yes yes?  
I know it's just retelling everything again, but this is just for the first chapter.  
Am I too vague about the concept of dragon space? heh...when I said windows, I was thinking of the floating Vid-Windows in ReBoot. (awesome 3-D cartoon there)  
Yours, plhu.  
  



	2. DragonSpace02: Illusion

DragonSpace02 **DragonSpace02  
Rui: Illusion**  
  
_When I first saw the Fuujin on Fuuko, I was surprised. Trapped behind a tornado she had created and could not escape, she stuck out her tongue at Recca. Why was it so familiar? For a moment, I was really afraid that the girl would die, until I remembered that Kagerou was just testing Recca and could, at any instant, teleport into the tornado to get Fuuko out._  
  
I remember gazing at the fields. Crisp stalks of rice baked golden by the sun danced in the morning wind, creating a rippling tide across the hectares of our territory. Everyone in the village over the age of twelve had to help out in the harvest. I was twelve at the time, but was bound to stay in the village and continue to train. My elders had been displeased with my lack of progress of late.   
  
My little half-sisters and cousins huddled around the well playing with insects. "Don't come too close," I warned them. I was, and still am, Rui, caster of the tiger flame born to the second generation of the Hokage. I took a deep breath and focused on the dead tree in front of me. In my mind I was creating a new scene - where the tree would appear to come to life and blossom. The wind would then carry the blossom petals to the well, where my cousins and sisters would be able to see them. With my elders around training me, I rarely got to make illusions of my choice; just painful ones where I play with the guilt of my opponent; making their dead ones 'come back to life', their intestines spilling onto the ground, and the like. As such, I relished the time spent during self-practice.   
  
I filled my mind with only that scene, and nothing else, as I called out my flame to create the illusion. A white tiger flame, that my eyes alone can see, flowed out of my right arm. It enveloped the tree. The illusion came to life, superimposed over the tree itself. Only I can see illusion and reality at the same time; others see only the illusion.   
  
The petals floated over to my cousins and half-sisters. They reached out to catch them in their little hands. And they could, too. My illusions have taste, smell and texture to them; they can even speak, besides being seen. Thus it requires great concentration to keep it up. The way the petals should feel, the way they spiral in the wind currents, the way some navigate gracefully into the well while the others continue…it all takes hours of observation on my part to get these tiny details right, not just for flowers, but for people as well.   
  
My favourite half-sister, Kasumi, only nine summers old, had an affinity for the wind. Already she was being trained to use the Fuujin, a weapon so powerful it harms the inept who try to harness its power. Her face caught up in rapture, she stood up to touch a petal. Very sadly, it was the well-bound petal that she had set her eye on. As she overbalanced, she fell into the well.   
  
The screams of the other children tore me out of my concentration. The illusion vanished instantaneously, like the existence it never had. I sprinted towards the well, ignoring the blood that was running down my right arm. I looked down into the well. Admist the deep swirls of water, I saw her choking. Bravely, she stuck out her tongue at me, trying to reassure me that everything would turn out just fine.   
  
_Rekka leapt onto Domon's outstretched hands, which launched him into the air. He landed inside the tornado and slashed at the orb controlling Fuuko. The tornado died down. Nadare and Saiha cheered openly for the fun of it. I applauded silently, for Recca had succeeded where I had failed. _  
  
I do not recall the rest that happened that day. Just that I was unable to rescue Kasumi, daughter of my father's first wife. Illusions are not real; not at my level then. I had just wanted to make the children a little happier since they had not been allowed to go to the harvest. However, it was my fault that she lost her life, and my fault that I exist only as a dragon spirit today.   
  
After that incident, I was ignored by most. A little brother born to my mother became the new flame-caster, meaning that I was unworthy to lead. I left my family home and lived on the edge of the village. I chose to change the way I looked frequently, wiping away the face I was born with. I would be a demure girl of fifteen one day, and an old hag, another. At night, I would stare at the moon. The shadows on the moon's face changed everyday, just like my face. But now, science tells us that the same side of the moon faces us all the time. Soon, the villagers only knew me as Rui the Faceless. I honed my skills of deception and worked on increasing the strength of my flame. When faced with opponents immune to my illusions, I could just burn them up, then. My training gave me satisfaction. Besides that, I spent my time perfecting on my calligraphy. The strong black characters on white paper were somehow, real. Solid. Comforting. I made up countless riddles to delight the children who so often came to visit.   
  
The way I had chosen to live suited me; I am not leader material.   
  
This is my story. I am Rui, caster of the white tiger flame.  
  
  


End

  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
- Kasumi - "mist". Name of the singer of Shadow Skill's theme song "Born Legend". (yes, this is desperado.)  
  
- This is the result of reading too much Joy Luck Club i.e. Ying Ying St Clair. Waiting between the trees. See, I used tigers, wiping away of faces, reality, illusions, things only she can see, becoming a spirit, the MOON…  
  
- I'm sure the ending is weird. And the transition of things happening to Recca to Rui's memories is strange too.   
- The part about writing riddles explains her 'test' for Recca to get her power.   
  
- The discrepancy: Rui's flame is white, she appears as orange when Recca calls her out. Do not even ask. I theorize it's because Recca's own flame, apart from the 8 dragons, is orange already, so the dragons appear orange. And what is the own flame theory? If Kurei has a phoenix own flame, then Recca should have a (chicken? Rabbit?) own flame. Kurenai = Nadare etc.  
  



	3. DragonSpace03: Unintention

DragonSpace03 **DragonSpace03  
Homura: Unintention**  
  
Do you know why the elders are always so afraid when two flamecasters are born in a single generation? There is Rui's case, but mine is far worse.  
  
My brother Setsuna reminded me of the sky with his white hair and blue skin, just like the white clouds coalescing in one corner of the blue sky.   
  
I was eight at that time, walking along the corridors of my father's house when I overheard my parents conversing with the village elders.  
  


> "Your elder son, Setsuna, is a threat to all of us. We have to do something about it."  
  
"But we can't get rid of him. He is the only one of our children to display flame-casting abilities so far."  
  
"Please, give us some more time. We may be able to mould him into a Hokage leader yet," my mother pleaded.  
  


I continued walking, until I was in the backyard. There, I saw my elder brother Setsuna. His fingers painted in blood, he was stuffing something into his mouth...a chicken, judging from the brown feathers on the ground; probably strangled and eaten it straight.  
  
"Want some?" He held out a chicken leg to me.  
  
I shook my head, and watched as he went back to eating, tearing the flesh apart with his pointed teeth. My brother was five years my senior, yet he was much bigger than the other thirteen-year-olds in the village. He was impatient, never staying focused long enough during his training, and then running off to pick fights. The villagers called him the "cursed flame caster" and the "savage", for apart from his...unusual colouring, he was explosive. Just shooting a glance in his direction could earn one slashes on the limbs, as many boys had found out. The unlucky ones would suffer burns.  
  
"I'm not hungry. I'm going back into the house." The messy sight of the dead chicken was disturbing. Not that I'm easily nauseated, but I maintain that food should always be properly cooked before consumption.  
  
As I walked to my room to get my whip for a spot of practice, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation again.  
  
"Your efforts to discipline him are not working."  
  
"One more chance. The next time he hurts anyone out of malice, he will have to go."  
  
Later that day, I tried to warn my brother. Tried to get him to tone down, to become more human, to become one of us. He laughed. And sliced off half of a tree with his claws. He walked off after that. My efforts were in vain, as they had always been. Apart from my parents, I was the only one my brother wouldn't hurt. We were sparring partners, and I found counteracting his unpredictability and speed excellent training for myself.  
  
That night, my second uncle burst into my father's house, accompanied by his wife. "Look what your precious son has done," he spat at my father. "My son is not the only one." In his arms he carried my cousin Haruki. Limp, ashen and covered with bloodstains, it looked like the boy was dead.   
  
The village elders followed soon after. In the dim light of the candles*, I saw my father harden his face. "We will look for Setsuna and bring him back. Tonight, we will decide what his punishment will be," he said in a heavy voice. "You will stay behind, Homura."  
  
I watched as half the grown men in the village ran out in orderly lines, armed with torches and their personal weapons: swords, knives, arrows...to kill my brother. _Is this right? Will killing him bring anyone back to life?_ I questioned them silently. Breaking away from my mother, I ran out into the night. I knew my brother's hideout; I only prayed that I could get there before the men did. Then, I could warn him, and persuade him to leave the Hokage village forever and never come back.  
  
The long blades of grass slapped my calves as I ran. In the dim moonlight, I made out the outline of my brother's cave. I entered. The stream of moonlight flowing through the entrance focused on some spherical glistening objects on the rocky floor...were they...eyeballs? Steeling myself, I looked around.   
  
My brother sat on the floor licking his fingers. I didn't want to know what he had been doing. "Hi there, Homura," he hissed, like he always did.  
  
"Listen, they're after you. You've got to get away-"  
  
"We've found him!" A man's voice shouted. The cave brightened as the men and their torches neared the opening.  
  
_So fast...was I followed? _ I stood in front of the cave, arms outstretched, trying to protect my brother. The Hokage was hunting down one of its children; that didn't feel right to me.   
  
My father stepped into the cave, the strongest elders close behind him. "Get out of the way, Homura. You're too young to know anything."  
  
I didn't budge.   
  
My father nodded slightly. One of the elders shot out from behind and grabbed hold of me, locking my arms behind my back. I cursed silently. _As long as Father's around, Setsuna can't fight against him...he's defenceless..._  
  
I saw my brother looking around wildly, for some route of escape. _It's not his fault that he doesn't suit this world; I've got to do something!_ My heart started to beat faster, like it was forcing all the blood in my body into my right arm. I felt my arm get warmer and warmer, like it was on fire. It wasn't an uncomfortable heat; I could feel it and acknowledge its presence, but it did not hurt at all.   
  
And then, something flew out of my hand, and I was suddenly free from the elder's hold. Bringing my hand in front of me, I saw a flaming glove of fire enclosing it. Dazed, I stared at my hand. Me, a flame caster? The second one in a generation?  
  
I looked up at my father. His eyes widened, but closed for a brief period of meditation. Then, he set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. In a steady voice, he said, "I have changed my mind. Tonight, we will kill Setsuna for the good of our village."  
  
My father called out his flame, and I found myself trapped in a force-field. Through the shimmering orange wall, I witnessed the killing of my brother by the Hokage elders. And I cried, even though I had known that that would have to happen someday.  
  
After that, I was trained as the future leader of the Hokage. The third leader of the Hokage. I resisted it at first, because it was the flame in my body that indirectly caused the death of my brother. I had to bit my lip every time I called my flame out.   
  
I wonder what went on in my father's mind before he announced the final sentence. By allowing the elders to kill Setsuna, he would be cursed by leading a spirit's existence. As would I, being unable to save my brother. Was my father such a true leader, that he put the good of the village above the fate of the Hokage leaders?   
  
  


end

  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
- I kinda liked the brother complex concept here, but I think it got a little too forced starting from the middle.  
  
- Please, help me think of a better TITLE!!! - raydance keeps complaining that my fics are too short. hmpf.  
  



End file.
